Window Messages
by Walker'sLampshade
Summary: It started out being just a way to set arrangements. Artemis & Dick friendship fic- implied Birdflash, Longshot & CheshRoy Rated T for occasional language and references to adult themes.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters mentioned.

_A/N: _So yeah. I was meant to be writing Birdflash fanfic…but I didn't. I spent 5 days writing this instead! Because I adore their friendship. _So much_. I love them together as well but I love their friendship more.

"_Come back, my dear. Come back and make my world again.  
Your voice so clear. Your voice reminds me of a friend.  
You had a heart like a hero. You sang a song that only I could ever know.  
Where would I be without you? Where would I be?"  
_ _– _She Believed, Change of Pace  
(listen to it if you like Traught, or Artemis and Dick friendship, it works for both. Or if you just like good music! Just go listen to it, k)

_**Dick Grayson  
**Artemis Crock_

Enjoy.

* * *

There is a lamppost beside Artemis' window. Dick has climbed it so many times he can now near enough fly up, barely even having to hold on at all.

There is a tree beside Dick's window. Artemis can clamber up it so quickly that even Bruce's security cameras are lucky to pick her up.

It was Dick that sent the first message. A split second decision with no logical reasoning behind it- a decision made through boredom and the sudden realisation that he hadn't hung out with Artemis for several weeks.

– _**Movies and Pizza. My place. 7.30 tonight -D **_

Scrawled across the outside of Artemis' window, to be seen as soon as she walked through her bedroom door from school.

She went of course, and the next few times they wanted to arrange a meet up:

– _**Wally and Megan want to go to the fair on Saturday. I'm bringing you. –D  
p.s. this is an order, not a request. **_

– _I need a Math tutor. Come to mine when you can –A_

– _**You're coming for dinner at my house tonight. Be here at 6. –D**_

– _We're going for coffee. Call me when you read this. –A_

It didn't take long for the messages to become less about making arrangements, and more a daily source of entertainment and an easy escape from boredom.

– _**Good morning Artie. Stay asterous!**_

– _Your matheletes meetings go on for too long. _

– _I could write my name in that dust on your cabinet_

– _**Patrol is so boring**_

– _You need to have more caffeine in your diet or something. It's 3 o'clock. Wake up idiot._

– _**Why do you sleep with your face covered? You must have dreams about suffocating a lot**  
**I think your mom just tried to hit me with a broom I don't know  
She thought I was trying to kill you. I explained.**_

– _My mom thinks you're a creep._

– _**Alfred thinks you're a creep.**_

* * *

– _I heard you have a crush on Wally_

"Artie! What were you _thinking_ writing that on my window?"

"_What_?"

"You can't just write that on someone's _window_!"

"Why not?"

– _**I heard you have a crush on Roy**_

"Okay. I see your point."

"Thank you!"

"So when are you going to ask him out?"

"_Artie_!"

– _Have you done it yet? _

– _**No**_

– _Ooo he's sleeping over now ;) _

"He saw that one, you bitch."

– _I'm sorry._

She was punished to a few weeks of silent window treatment for that one.

Even though Dick denies it, on the basis of being too angry- they both missed it.

Then, as Artemis woke up early one morning for school and rolled sleepily over in her bed, she glanced at her window out of habit.

– _**He kissed me.**_

She woke up so fast and screamed so loud that her mum thought she was being attacked and brought her broom out again, and Dick arrived home from school later that day with a bruised hip after being tackled to the floor.

* * *

– _I can't believe you hurt your arm so bad on that mission. Idiot. I hope you're okay._

– _Get well soon. Pre calc is SO boring without you. _

– _It's 5 in the afternoon dude why are you asleep?!  
I forgive you. Your arm looks painful. I'll be over about 9 okay? I'll bring Chinese food. You better be awake by then._

– _Good morning, sunshine! Now get your ass into school and entertain me_

– _I need my Math Tutor back. GET BETTER YOU FREAK. _

– _Do you always watch Disney films when you're ill or…  
p.s. why haven't you got Mulan? It's the best_

– _Stop drooling_

– _Dude you have to save me from Babs. I cannot COPE in this school without you! _

– _Seriously, get better now._

– _I bought Mulan for you. I hope it's not broke because I dropped it through the window…_

The next time he saw her after that week Dick hugged Artemis for almost 10 minutes, and kept assuring her that, yes; Mulan was in fact the best Disney film ever.

* * *

– _**What's that furry thing next to your bed?**_

"It's an alarm clock."

_– __**That is NOT an alarm clock**_

"Yes it is."

"I refuse to believe it."

– _**Putting it right in front of the window is not going to convince me. That is NOT an alarm clock.**_

* * *

_– **I cannot believe you own that CD. Throw it out. Throw it out NOW.**_

– _**No I didn't say stick the cover to the window I said throw it out**_

"I cannot actually believe you did that."

"What?" Artemis faked innocence with a smile.

"You stuck that damn CD to _my_ window."

"You told me to chuck it out."

"_Not what I meant_!"

* * *

– _Oh lookie! Is that Wally's shirt I see on your floor?! Whatever would Batman say?_

– _**YOU SAW NOTHING.**_

– _I definitely saw something._

– _**I saw you making out with Roy once. **_

It took them 3 minutes the next time they were together (which happened to be in the Cave, in front of the whole team) to swear each other to silence, by which point the entire team were incredibly confused, and didn't even bother asking for fear of the answer.

– _You know I think we should both start shutting the curtains if we're making out with someone. Deal?_

"Oh my gosh, that's embarrassing. I can't believe you saw!"

"Well at least I didn't make you show everyone your love bite."

"_What_?"

"Curtains, _curtains_!"

* * *

– _You actually cleaned your room for the first time in what, 2 years? Well done!_

– _**Patrol with me tonight? Bats has gone off with Catwoman again**_

– _**I sense you had a date. You should put all your clothes back once you've thrown them on the floor or they'll go all wrinkly. **_

– _There's a wasp in your room  
I got it out for you_

"Thanks. I hate wasps."

"I know."

_–__** Your clock is 3 minutes slow**_

_– Why are you sleeping in a suit?_

– _**Artie…you don't have to answer this if you don't want but…was that bed and that poster your sisters?**_

– _Is that a picture of your parents by your bed?_

– _**Yes**_

– _Yes_

– _**It was a bad question wasn't it?**_

– _Yes, but so was mine_

– _**I'm sorry**_

– _Don't be_

* * *

The messages stopped for a while after that, and Dick thought that maybe they had gone for good. He felt guilty about asking, so no matter how tempting it was when he was bored on patrol to go and write in scruffy backwards handwriting along Artemis' window, he never did.

He still wished he could though, because he missed her handwriting, and the early morning laughs, and the daily reminder that he had awesome friends.

"You might as well go back home, Robin," Bruce said, leaning against a wall. "It's a quite night and you've got school again tomorrow."

Dick agreed.

He trudged up to his room still in his uniform, which he really should have left in the Batcave. Switching the light on with his elbow and yawning quietly he almost didn't notice the writing on his window. But as soon as he did his light was off again and he was climbing out of his bedroom window and heading in the direction of Artemis' house without a second thought.

– _My dad came to "visit" today._

It didn't take him 5 minutes to get to her house and climb through her bedroom window.

"D-Dick?"

Her voice was sleepy, and as she rubbed her eyes and yawned, he could see the evidence all over her face that she had cried herself to sleep.

Dick sat down on Artemis' bed, wrapping his arms around her and holding her awkwardly until she finally relaxed in his arms. She crawled in between his legs and rested her head on his chest. She didn't bother asking why he was here- she already knew.

"Sorry," he whispered to her. "I would have come sooner if I'd known."

"S'okay," she murmured back sleepily. "I shouldn't have bothered you."

"You didn't," Dick promised, and he stayed with his friend in his arms until she fell back into a contented sleep, before tucking her into bed and rushing downstairs to prepare cookies and chocolate milk for when she woke up in the morning.

He left them on the bedside table with the remote control and the Mulan DVD box, the DVD already in the player ready to watch.

* * *

– _**I got out of school before you for once!**_

– _Bring swim shorts to the cave. We're going to the beach. _

– _**Where were you today? Are you okay? …**_

– _**Seriously, where are you?**_

– _**You didn't come to the Cave tonight either. Please reply.**_

– _I'm fine. I just had something to sort out. Don't worry._

"Who said I was worried?"

Artemis stared at him. An eyebrow rose.

"Okay, I was worried. You disappeared for three days!"

She hugged him around the waist. "Sorry, I didn't tell you."

– _**Artemis….you have the biggest fucking spider on your wall that I have EVER seen.**_

– _Next time there is a wasp in your room I'm leaving it there._

– _**NO FAIR.**_

– _**Okay I promise to always get rid of spiders for you**_

– _**Artemis?**_

– _**Artieeeeee don't window ignore me**_

– _Hurry up dude. My house. We're going shopping.  
p.s. I'll let you visit the game store_

– _**GOOD MORNING ARTEMIS AND ROY  
You two are the cutest couple in the world. Just saying. **_

"You're an actual nob, do you know that?"

"Really? I thought I was a dick."

She punched him in the ribs.

– _I hate rain. _

– _**I love rain.**_

– _**I'm guessing it was you that reminded Wally? Thank you.**_

– _You're welcome, but if you ever come and splash me with rain water again I will end you._

* * *

– _**Artie, will you go to prom with me?**_

"Shouldn't you be asking your boyfriend that?"

Dick shrugged, his arms folded. "He was the one who informed me that Roy wasn't going to be able to make it," he said. "And we both agreed that it would be a shame for you to go without a date."

Artemis laughed lightly, shaking her head and looking down. "How did I end up with you two as friends?"

"You're an extremely lucky girl."

– _**Do you want to go in a really fancy car or something funny?**_

– _A really funny fancy car_

– _**Awkward bitch.**_

"Robin! _Rob_!"

"Yes, Artemis?"

"You have to pick which dress you want me to wear."

"Isn't it meant to be a surprise or something?"

"I don't care."

"Okay."

– _**I really like the purple one**_

_– **The silver shoes**_

_– **Do you think I'm some kind of fashion expert? Just because I have a boyfriend doesn't mean I'm Gok Wan!**_

– _Pick me up at 7 tomorrow._

– _**Thank you for prom. You really did look beautiful. **_

– _Thank you_

* * *

– _**I got stuck in an elevator today for 3 hours with a claustrophobic guy.  
I thought he was going to kill me.**_

– _When was the last time Alfred did your ironing?_

– _**Bruce told me to invite someone to this event, and Wally can't make it…save me from the boredom. Please?!**_

– _Seriously man you ta_

"Dick?" Artemis stopped writing, watching her friend through the glass as he rolled over in his bed.

He made another slight restless turn, and whimper escaped from his mouth. He was sweating, clutching the material of his covers in a death grip with whitened knuckles.

"Dick!"

Her friend didn't stir from his sleep, instead bringing his knees up to his chest and burying his face into his pillow, which then muffled his cry.

Artemis slid her arm through the open top half of Dick's window, fumbling for the catch. Climbing through the opening she made her way to Dick's bed, kneeling beside him on the floor. He thrashed around aggressively and instinctively she grabbed his hand.

"Dick, it's alright. You're okay. Wake up, Dick. Wake up!"

She grabbed his shoulders, trying to keep him still but he only thrashed even more aggressively, nearly kicking Artemis in the face. She held him as still as she could as he screamed and yelled, thrashing and crying in his sleep. When he finally awoke- accompanied by a heart wrenching scream- Artemis held him in a hug as he continued to sob slightly into her shoulder.

"Sh," she murmured, whispering to him that everything was okay and that it was only a dream and everything that her sister had whispered to her when they were children.

"W-Wally," Dick finally stuttered out, his voice husky. "…Bruce."

"I'll get them for you," Artemis promised, already fishing her phone out of her pocket as she kissed Dick's damp forehead and made her way towards the door of his room.

"Love you, Artie," Dick mumbled as he curled up under his covers, and Artemis turned to look at him for half a second.

"Love you, too."

* * *

– _Seriously, why does Gotham never get any good weather?_

It takes a whole week of waiting for day without rain.

– _**Call me.**_

She calls him. "Hey, what's up?"

"What's your favourite flavour of ice-cream?"

"Vanilla, why?"

He hangs up on her and arrives at her house a few minutes later with two vanilla ice creams.

"This counts as good weather, right?"

* * *

– _You left your computer on, idiot._

– _**You and Roy have WAY too many movie nights**_

"Neither of us have a lot of money to pay for a proper date."

– _That wasn't an invitation for you to book us in for a meal at a fancy restaurant, but thank you. _

– _I need a coffee. Meet me at 9.30._

– _**How do you always know exactly what time I wake up?**_

– _**I LOVE YOU IN THE MOST HOMOSEXUAL WAY.**_

"Should I even bother asking what that was about?"

"Like the song! It says: I love you in the most heterosexual way. But since I have a boyfriend, and you're a girl, that means I have to love you in the most _homo_sexual way, right?"

"Let's just stick with platonic."

– _**I LOVE YOU IN THE MOST PLA-A-ATONIC WAY.  
you have to say the a three times or it doesn't fit with the song**_

– _Why are you such a freak?_

* * *

– _**I have to go. I'm sorry.**_

He left.

She didn't understand why, not really. Nothing was ever explained. No one dared ask.

He just left- and didn't come back.

– _I miss you_

She waited. No reply.

– _Come back_

– _Please_

The silence became more and more painful, and eventually she gave up even checking her window.

– _I just want Wally to smile again._

– _I don't know how to make him_

– _You would_

He still didn't come back.

– _Please be okay._

She got scared thinking that he was out there alone- even though he was Robin.

– _You're my best friend. _

– _I love you. _

– _Come back to us._

She stopped writing the messages. It wasn't just herself she was hurting. Dick wasn't the only person who lived in that house.

She gave up waiting at all.

"Hey, Artemis?" Her mum leant over the edge of the upstairs banister.

She stared, unblinking, cereal bowl still in hand. "Yes?"

"Your window."

Paula was immediately thrown out of Artemis' room.

Artemis read it over, and over, and over, and over.

The familiar scrawl, messier than usual after so long of not writing. Message a sentence long. One comma, one apostrophe, no full stop, seven words, twenty nine letters.

– _**I'll never leave you again, I promise**_

She drove to his house still wearing her pyjamas.

* * *

– _**I'm sorry. I really am.**_

_**– I really did miss you…**_

– _You could've come back._

– **_I'm sorry…_**

– _**Can we meet up? Or are you still mad?**_

– _Our café. 10. Tomorrow._

– _How is it that I can't stay mad at you for longer than a week?_

* * *

– _**Your room really hasn't changed that much while I've been away….**_  
_**OH MY GOD YOU GOT RID OF THE FLUFFY ALARM CLOCK**_

"So _now_ you admit it's an alarm clock!"

"What, _no_! I didn't say that."

– _**Help me babysit? Like…now?**_

– _I don't know why you expected me to have got any better at looking after kids._

**– You know I forgot how truly boring patrol was**

– _I can hear arguing  
Alfred just warned me to leave while I can. I'll be back soon._

– _**Are you…are you moving out?**_

"I was kind of worried about how to tell you…"

Dick stared at her incredulously. "_Why_?"

"I don't know! You might have got attached to my window!"

There was a pause, and neither she nor he spoke. Then they simultaneously burst into laughter.

"I cannot _believe _you just said that!"

– _**You know, I like this new window!  
And it means I won't have your mom threatening to hit me with a broom anymore.**_

* * *

– _**Artie…this has been bugging me for a little while now…  
Where's Roy?**_

– _He may or may not have ditched me for my sister_

"I AM GOING TO KILL HIM NEXT TIME I SEE HIM. STICK A FUCKING GRENADE DOWN HIS THROAT AN-"

"NO YOU WILL NOT, NIGHTWING, CALM DOWN!"

"YES I WI-"

"NIGHTWING!"

"…Artie."

"It happened. It's fine."

"Okay."

* * *

– _**HEY ARTIEEEEEEEEE! CHICKEN IS DELICIOUS**_

Artemis awoke to a car alarm going off outside, and stared at the writing on her window with half-confusion, half-amusement.

She fumbled for her phone on the nightstand and called number 1 speed-dial.

"OH HEY ARTIE! YOU OKAY?"

Artemis held her phone away from her, nearly deafened by Dick's voice blaring out of the speaker.

"Jeez, could you speak any louder?"

"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR Y-" He broke off suddenly, dissolving into fits of giggles. "WALLY WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ARGHH!"

There was a crash from outside and Artemis shot out of bed in an instant, leaping over her furniture to the window. She opened the catch and leaned out, spying the street two floors below.

Wally was lying with his back on the floor, laughing with a dazed expression on his face and curry sauce all over him. Dick was sat next to him, legs tangled together with Wally's, rocking with hysterics. They were surrounded by fries and chicken pieces, and there were two beer bottles about half way down the street.

Artemis stared for a second, her lips twitching, before letting out a hopeless, uncontrollable bark of laughter.

"Guys, I think next time you should take me to the bar with you," she called down.

"THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA, ARTIE!" Dick shouted, lifting his head and giving her a beaming grin.

"YEAH!" Wally agreed, lifting up an arm lazily before letting it drop back to the pavement.

After some persuasion from the two drunken idiots- and several displays of how there was no way they were going to get back to Dick's house without getting run over by a truck- Artemis agreed to let them crash on her couch until morning.

* * *

– _Whoa whoa whoa! WHO said you could eat all those cookies?! You fed them to Wally didn't you?! Do you know how long those take you make?!_

– _**Have you been having secret conversations with Alfred behind my back?**_

– _No._

– _**OH MY GOD YOU HAVE! That's how you knew how to make those Brownies when you taught M'gann!**_

– _No!_

– _**YES! You've been sharing cooking tips and everything! I thought Alfred had suddenly developed a strange fondness to Vietnamese food!**_

– _Dick shut up_

– _**WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU BEEN TALKING ABOUT?**_

– _Dick shut up._

– _**WHAT HAS HE TOLD YOU**_

– _I will sentence you to window silence._

– _**So I see you painted your walls!**_

* * *

"Oh wow. Look who's moving out of their house now!"

Dick turned to Artemis, and watched the little smirk on her face grow into a grin.

"Yeah," he agreed, giving her a one-sided grin.

"You better make sure there's something to climb up. A _tree _at the least."

"Okay."

"I mean, I got you a whole freaking fire escape so it'd be kind of ni-"

"Artie. _Artemis_." He put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him. "Your climbing route is at the top of the priorities list, I swear."

They both smirked.

– _Do you need some help with packing? Your room is…to put it lightly: a dump _

_– I'll be back in half an hour I'm getting you more boxes_

**– **_BYE BYE DICK'S OLD ROOM! SEE YOU LATER!_

**– **_Okay. Does this mean that Wally is going to see all the messages now too? DAMN._

* * *

– _**Come out for dinner with me and Wals?**_

– _Will one of you PLEASE just come and fix my car? I CAN'T KEEP WALKING EVERYWHERE._

– _**Fixed it**_

"Really, Dick, you shouldn't be fixing my car while you're on patrol."

"You wanted it fixed!" Dick protested.

"By _Dick Grayson, _not _Nightwing_! Do you have any idea what that would have caused if my neighbours had seen you?"

"They'd have been telling the papers about Artemis Crock's superhero engineer?"

She blinked once, turned, and walked in the opposite direction leaving Dick cackling behind her.

– _You were watching Mulan with Wally!_

– _**Clearly the student has become the Master**_

– _I have taught you well young one_

– _**Uh…uh…you fight good**_

– _Don't start. I can quote that entire film before you've even finished singing Reflection._

* * *

– _WOW, Dick. Wally can sure make you SCREAM!  
p.s. thanks for shutting the curtains, the sound was bad enough_

"ARTEMIS CROCK, YOU CAN'T JUST WRITE THAT ON SOMEONE'S _WINDOW_!"

"Woah, dude, chill! It's not like you live with Bruce and Alfred anymore."

"SELINA CAME OVER FOR BREAKFAST!"

* * *

– _He has a kid._

"Who, your boyfriend?"

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"Oh. Then who?"

"_Roy_!"

"_Roy _has a kid?"

Artemis nodded. "And you and Wally are babysitting on Friday."

"_What_?"

Artemis ran off out of the cave before he could protest.

– **_You totally just set me up_.**

– _Yep. She's not that bad. Just don't let her kill anything._

– _**That is SO comforting**_

* * *

– _**I can hear your music from halfway down the street**_  
_**how the hell are you asleep?**_

– _Maybe you should let Wally in on our little curtain agreement. Seeing him dancing around naked singing Coldplay is really not something I would like to witness again. _

"JESUS, WALLY!"

– _**I see Lian made your face her personal art canvas…**_

_**– **I cannot believe that you guys still play those stupid video games_

"You _never _insult the video games, Artemis. _Never_."

"These are the best video games in the world."

"Okay, guys. Whatever you say."

– _**Hey Artemis, this is Wally. I kind of need to talk to you about something.**_

* * *

– _**You're keeping a secret from me. What is it?**_

_– No secret. Sorry_.

_– __**There is! Tell me Artemis!**_

_– There is no secret. _

"Artie, tell me!"

"Tell you what?"

"The secret!"

"What secret?"

"GAH!"

_– __**Tell me! Please!**_

_– __**I hate you.**_

_– Flattery won't get you anywhere Grayson_

_– __**I swear I will put spiders in your room if you don't tell me. **_

"You dare, Nightwing. You dare!"

Dick just smirked and walked away.

Five minutes later he rapidly apologising and promising not to put spiders or any other form of insects in Artemis' room, while Artemis, Tim, and Barbara all stood giggling on the other side of closet door.

_– __**Please just tell me**_

_– Like I keep saying. There's nothing to tell._

_– __**LIAR**_

_– __**TELL ME!**_

_– No secret._

_– __**ARTEMIS CROCK YOU ARE THE BIGGEST JERK AND LIAR I HAVE EVER MET. I love you lots and lots and lots.  
If you hadn't already guessed- I said yes.  
**_  
A few hours after she received that message Dick and Wally arrived at the cave and were promptly tackled to the floor, an almost hysterical Artemis sprawled on top of them hugging them both in turn and laughing at their astonished faces.

_– __**Richard John Grayson formally requests permission for Artemis Crock to be his head groomsmaid at his wedding to Wallace Rudolph West.  
He promises there will be no ugly colours, and no spiders, and that she won't be expected to dance if she doesn't want to (though he would love to dance with her if she'd let him.)  
He just wants his best friend to be his head groomsmaid.**_

Dick knelt on the outside of the windowsill, grinning at her as she read the message. The last thing he expected her to do was uncharacteristically collapse on the carpet and burst into tears, but he responded quickly, clambering through her window and cradling her in his arms as she clutched his shirt, grinning through her tears while she nodded her head rapidly and repeating a muffled "yes" into his chest.

* * *

– _Happy Honeymoon return_  
_or whatever_  
_Oh my gosh I can't believe you're actually married!_

"You wrote that like you never actually expected it to happen."

"I knew it would happen, but now it has I'm so much happier for you than I had expected to be."

– _**Now we just need to get you married.**_

– _No. Now you just need a kid._

– _**You're coming to the Cave tomorrow right?**_

_– You two look even cuter than usual tonight_

_– **Bruce misses you coming round for dinner I think**_

_– I think you two should hire a cleaner or something._

– _**I'm considering buying you another bookcase for your birthday. It is not good to keep books stacked up like that.**_

* * *

– _We haven't hung out in ages._

– **Yeah, I miss you**

– _Our café. Saturday. 9.30._

_– **Hey Artie**_

_– What?_

_– **I can't believe we've been doing this for so long.**_

_– Me neither._

* * *

_A/N: _I think this has got to be the weirdest fanfic I have ever written, I'm not sure. I don't even- what?

I'm just going to say I'm experimenting with writing styles and leave it as that. That makes sense, right?

_If you have time to review, I will love you forever. If you don't, then I'll love you anyway._


End file.
